Control for rolling mill



June 20, 1961 A. B. sHUcK ET AL CONTROL FOR ROLLING MILL 3 Sheets-Sheetl Filed May 24, 1960 Amwm En mm..

June 20, 1961 A B, SHUCK ET AL 2,988,938

CONTROL FOR ROLLING MILL Filed May 24, 1960 5 Sheets-Sheet 2 Fig-E af 76a@ 78 3. es' A June 20, 1961 A. B. SHUCK ET AL 2,988,938

CONTROL FOR ROLLING MILL Filed May 24, 1960 3 Sheets-Sheet 5 TE-E @f4 lV United States Patent O 2,988,938 `CONTROL FOR ROLLING MILL Arthur B.Shuck, Wheaton, and William C. Shaw, Joliet,

Ill., assignors to the United States of America as represented by theUnited States Atomic Energy Commission Filed May 24, 1960, Ser. No.31,504 3 Claims. (Cl. Sil-43) This invention relates to [the processingof materials in a controlled atmosphere, and more particularly, to theautomatic handling of certain metals to be shaped in a rolling mill.

In Ithe rolling of plutonium, an inert isolated atmosphere is required,because of the toxicity of plutonium to the air to be breathed byworkmen and because of the oxidation of plutonium in air at rollingtemperatures.

The present invention involves automatic handling of metal betweenpasses in a rolling mill, which makes it possible to carry out therolling operations in a special atmosphere. In the rolling mill to whichthe present invention is applicable, ametal workpiece may be indexed byAbeing angularly shifted about its own axis between passes or by beingshifted lengthwise of the rolls between passes. According to the presentinvention, a chuck that indexes a workpiece las just described is openedor closed in response to theV condition or relative position of feedrolls when the workpiece enters or leaves these feed rolls.

In the drawings:

FIG. 1 is a diagrammatic View illustrating the novel apparatus of thepresent invention;

FIG. 2 is a vertical Isectional showing the feeding rolls and gripper ofthe present apparatus;

FIG. 3 is an end view of the gripper, partly in section, taken on theline 3-3 of FIG. 2;

FIG. 4 is an end View of a head forming part 'of the gripper; and FIG. 5is a developed View of the peripheral surface of the head.

With reference to FIG. 1, a workpiece (not shown) is fed repeatedlybetween upper and lower shaping rolls and 11 by means of two sets ofupper and lower feed rolls 12, 13, 14, and 15. One set of feed rolls isto one side of the shaping rolls 10 and 11, and the other set, to theother side. Each set comprises a pair of upper and lower feed rolls 12and 13, which are relatively near the shaping rolls 10 and 11, and apair of upper and lower feed rolls 14 and 15, which are relatively farfrom the shaping rolls 10 and 11, i.e., adjacent the rolls 12 and 13 onthe side thereof` away from the shaping rolls 10 and 11. In each set,the upper feed rolls 12 and 14 are interconnected by a yoke 16, whichmoves bodily upward from the horizontal position shown in FIG. 1 whenthe workpiece is between all the feed rolls, tilts clockwise when theworkpiece lies only between the feed rolls 14 and 15, and tiltscounterclockwise when the workpiece Y lies only between the feed rolls12 :and 13.

Beyond the feed rolls 12, 13, 14, and 15, on the side therefrom awayfrom ,the shaping rolls 10 and ,11, ylies a gripper 17, which isactuated either to grip or release the workpiece depending on thedirection of its movement through the feed rolls, when the yoke 16 istilted clock- Wise'because the workpiece is between only the rolls 14and 15. Such `actuation of the gripper 17 is brought about by anelectric switch 18, which is closed only by vclockwise tilting of theyoke .16. Closing of the switch Q18 supplies an electric current throughlines 19 and 2t) hold the workpiece.

switch 2,1 is thrown, which direction is lin turn dependent l on thedirection of movement of the workpiece `through the feed rolls 12, 13,14, and 15.

Thus, when the workpiece is moving away from the shaping rolls 10 and 11.through the left-hand set of feed rolls 12, 13, 14, and 15, the switch18 is closed and ener-v gizes the solenoid 22, which shifts a valve 24from the dotted-line position to the `full-line position. As a result,gas under pressure is supplied by a pump 25 through a line 24a and thevalve 24 to the outer ends of cylinders 26, where it acts againstpistons 27 to move them and their associated gripper elements 28 towardone another into engagement with the workpiece as it emerges from thefeed rolls 12, 13, 14 and 15.

When the switch 21 is thrown in the opposite direction, so .thatclos-ing of switch 18 energizes the solenoid 23, the latter moves thevalve 24 from the full-line position to the dotted-line position, inwhich the pump 25 land the outer ends of cylinders 26 are connected toan exhaust line 29. As a result compression springs 3l) on the gripperele* ments 28, move the gripper elements outward to release theworkpiece. f

When the workpiece cornes from the feed rolls 12, 13, 14, and 15 intothe gripper 17 and is held thereby, the gripper 17 and the workpiece aremoved away from the feed rolls by a cylinder 32 and a piston 33 movingin the cylinder and connected to the gripper 17 through-a rod 34. Thepiston 33 is moved in the cylinder 32 by gas under pressure supplied -bythe pump 25 through a line 35, a valve 36, and line 37 or line 38,depending on the position of the valve 36. The valve 36 is controlled bysolenoids 39 and A40. When neither solenoid is energized, the valve -36is positioned as shown, blocking flow of gas to both lines 37 and 38,because of the action of compression springs 41 against a partition 42.

When the switch 21 is thrown so that closing of switch 18 energizessolenoid 22, the valve 24, being brought to its full-line position bysolenoid 22, supplies gas under pressure from the pump 25 to thecylinders 26 to make the gripper elements 28 engage the workpiece. Atthe same time, Ithe solenoid 39, being connected to the same side of theswitch 21 as the solenoid 22, and in parallel therewith, through lines43 and 44, is energized and shifts the valve 36 to the right of theposition shown. As a result, gas under pressure goes from the line 35through the valve 36 and the line 37 to the right end of the cylinder32, and the left end of the cylinder 32 exhausts through the valve 36and through an exhause valve 45 opened by a solenoid 46, connected inparallel with the solenoid 39 so as to be energized simultaneouslytherewith. When the solenoid 46 is no longer energized, the valve y4.5is automatically closed. When the piston 33 reaches the left end of thecylinder 32, it opens a limit switch l48, deenergizing the solenoid 39.Thus the valve 36 is returned by the springs 41 to the position shown,and gas is no longer supplied against the right side of the piston 33 tomove the piston leftward.

When the piston 33 is to be moved to the right, the switch 21 is closedto the side where the solenoid 23 lies. Incidentally, this closing ofswitch 21 does not energize solenoid 23, because the switch 1S is open,the workpiece not yet having reached the rolls 14 and 1S so as to tiltthe yoke 16. The solenoid 23 being unenergized, the valve 24 remains inits full-line position, so that the pump 25 continues to supply gasagainst the pistons 27, and the gripping elements 2S continue to Theswitch 21 being closed as aforesaid, current is supplied to the solenoid40 through lines 20, 49, and 50 independently of the open switch 18,Yand the valve 36 moves leftward from the position shown. As a result,gas under pressure is supplied from the` pump 25 to the left side of thepiston 33 through lines 35 and 38,- and the right end of the cylinder 32exhausts through the line 37. The valve 24 having stayedin the full-lineposition, the elements 28 continue to hold the workpiece, which isbrought rightward to the feed rolls 12, 13, 14, and as the piston 33 ismoved rightward by gas pressure. When the workpiece enters the feedrolls 14 and 15, the yoke 16 tilts clockwise, closing switch 18. As aresult, the solenoid 23 is energized and shifts the valve 24 to thedotted-line position. Consequently, the pump 25 and the outer ends ofthe cylinders 26 are connected to the exhaust line 29, and thc springs30 to move the gripper elements outward to release the workpiece, whichmay now continue through the feed rolls 12, 13, 14, and 15 to theshaping rolls 10 and 11. When the piston 33 reaches the right end of thecylinder 32, the piston Opens a limit switch 51, deenergizing thesolenoid 40.

With reference to FIG. 2, the upper rolls 12 and 14 are journaled onshafts 52, which have their ends supported on two side plates 53, onlyone being shown, which, together with braces 54 interconnecting the sideplates, constitute the yoke 16. The yoke 16 is tiltingly supported on acarriage 55 by a rock shaft 56, which extends through the carriage, theside plates being at opposite sides of the carriage. Tilting of the yoke16 with respect to the carriage 55 is yieldingly resisted by fourcompression springs 57, only two being shown, which rest in recesses inthe braces 54 and openings in the carriage 55, where the springs areadjusted by threaded stops 58, fixed by lock nuts 59. The carriage 55 iscarried on the lower end of a vertical post 60, which may be adjusted bymeans, not shown, to accommodate workpieces of different diameter orthicknesses.

When, as shown in FIG. 2, no workpiece is between the feed rolls 12, 13,14, and 15, rolls 12 and 14 are held in contact with rolls 13 and 15,respectively, by four compression springs 61, only two being shown,which rest in four openings in a retainer 62 spaced 90 from one anotherabout a central opening 63 as a center in the retainer 62. The retainer62 rests in a central depression in the carriage 55, a projection 64 onthe carriage fitting in the opening 63 in the retainer 62. The lowerends of the springs 61 engage the carriage 55 in its central depression,and the upper ends of the springs 61 engage a thrust member 65. Betweenthe thrust member and a head 66 on the post 60 is positioned a bearingmember 67, which permits the post 60 to be rotated for verticaladjustment without involving the thrust member 65, which is held in thecarriage 55 against rotation with respect thereto. The carriage 55 isretained on the post 60 by means of a collar 68, which is secured to thecarriage 55 by screws 69 and engages the head 66 on the post 60. Whenthe workpiece lies both between feed rolls 12 and 13 and between feedrolls 14 and 15, the yoke 16 and the carriage 55 move up togetheragainst the action of the springs 61 to the extent permitted by theclearance between the lower side of the thrust member 65 and the top ofthe retainer 62 and the central depression in the carriagev 55 andbetween the collar 68 and a shoulder 70 on the post 60.

The switch 18 consists of a contact 71 attached to the carriage 55 and acontact 72 in the form of a threaded member adjustably threaded into theyoke 16and secured by a lock nut 73. The switch 18 closesonly when theyoke 16 tilts clockwise with respect to the carriage 55 to make theContact 72 engage the Contact 71.

Although FIG. l shows only two elements 28 for the gripper 17, there areactually six such elements 28, as will be seen in FIGS. 2, 4, and 5. Thesix elements 28 are arranged in three sets of two elements; the elementsof each set being angularly displaced 60 and 120 from the elements ofthe other two sets and being axially displaced from the elements ofthe`other two sets along an axial opening 74 Vformed in an angularlyshiftable block 4 75, which forms the cylinders 26 in which the pistons27 are mounted; the two elements of each set being diametrally opposedand having the same location along the axial opening 74. Thus in thedeveloped view of the peripheral surface of the block 75 in FIG. 5 thepositions of the gripper elements 28 can be seen from the positionsvofthe' associated cylinders 26. The long horizontal dimension of FIG. 5represents 360, and the short vertical dimension represents displacementalong the axis of the opening 74 in the block 75. Thus in the rst set A,cylinders 26 are seen to be 180 apart, being at the middle and in halvesat the ends and at the same axial location. Likewise in each of thesecond and third sets B, and C the cylinders 26 are seen to be 180 apartfrom one another and at the same axial location along the opening 74 asone another, and to be 60 or 120 from the cylinders 26 of the other setsand at different axial locations along the opening 74.

As shown in FIG. 3, each gripper element 28 is formed in a shallow orflat V. When the six gripper elements 28 are projected into the sameplane, they seem to overlap and approach one another much as theelements in the shutter of a camera. The six gripper elements 28 engagethe workpiece at six diterent regions equally distributed about theworkpiece.

Each gripper element 28 is wider than it is thick, as will be seen fromFIG. 2 alone and from a comparison of FIGS. 2 and 3. The gripperelements 28 are slidably mounted in bushings 75a suitably shaped toprevent rotation of the gripper elements about their own axes. Thebushings 75a are mounted in the block 75. The springs 30, which havebeen described as urging the gripper elements 28 and their associatedpistons 27 radially outward, act between the bushings 75a and thebottoms of relatively deep annular grooves formed in the pistons 27.Rings 75h, which are set in grooves formed in the block 75 at thecylinders 26, limit radially outward movement of the pistons 27 andgripper elements 28, so that the gripper elements clear the opening 74in the block 75.

The block 75 is mounted for angular movement about its opening 74 as anaxis, in casing parts 76 and 77, which are fastened together by screws78. Rings 79 and 80, set in recesses in the block 75, mount the block inthe casing part 76 so that an annular space 81 is provided between theblock 75 and the casing part 76, through which gas under pressure issupplied from the pump 25 through the valve 24 to the pistons 27connected with all the gripper elements '28 in all angular positions ofthe block 75. As shown in FIG. 3, the casing part 76 has a angeextension 82, to which the pump line 24a, exhaust line 29, and valve 24are attached. Housings 83 and 84 for the solenoids 22 and 23,respectively, are secured to the valve 24. The block 75 has an axialextension 85, to which is secured a 1gear 86 for angularly shifting theblock 75.

The purpose in making the block 75 angularly shiftable is to enable theworkpiece to be angularly shifted about its own axis between passesthrough the shaping rolls 10 and 11. It is also contemplated that theworkpiece may be shifted axially along the rolls 10 and 11 betweenpasses so that various sections of the rolls axially displaced from oneanother may operate on the workpiece. For this purpose a structure 87,shown in FIG. 2, is made shiftable into and out of the plane of thepaper by means, not shown. The structure 87 is attached by screws 88 tothe casing part 77 which helps support the block 75 for the gripperelements 28. The structure 87 is connected in a manner, not shown, tothe piston rod 34 so that the gripper elements 28 are enabled to movethe workpiece toward and away from the feed rolls 12, 13, 14 and1.5,Ythe'structure having a groove 89, receiving a rail or land on abed, not shown, along which the structure 87 moves.

A Mention has been made of the two directions in which the workpieceino'ves through 'the shaping rolls 10 and 11 and the feedingrolls 12,13,14,A and 15, and of the. effect:l these directions of movement have incausing the: closing of switch 18 to make the gripper 17 engageorrelease the workpiece. 'Ihe direction of movement of the workpiece isdetermined by the direction in which the rolls are driven. The shapingrolls and 11, which are geared together for rotation in oppositedirections, are driven by a variable-speed reversible motor 90, thespeed of` which is determined by a variable resistance 91, and thedirection of rotation of which is determined by a reversing switch 92.The speed of each set of feed rolls 12, 13, 14, and 15 is kept a littlehigher or a little lower than that of the shaping rolls 10 and 11 by asignal generator 93 connected with the motor 90 and a reversing switch94. If the workpiece is to move to a given set 0f feed rolls from theshaping rolls', then the associated switch 94 is closed so that areference voltage 94a and the' voltage of the associated signalgenerator 93 are added to Vone anotheras they are applied to acomparator-95, connected with a power'source 96, in turn connected to amotor 97 for the given set offeed rolls. As a result, the given set offeed rollsV feeds the workpiece faster than the shaping rolls 10 and 11do, and the workpiece is kept under tension. The other set of feed rollsfrom which the workpiece is fed intothe shaping rolls 10 and 11, feedsthe workpiece more slowly than shaping rolls do, so that workpiece iskept under tension. This is brought about by having the reversing switch94 associated with the said other set of feed rolls closed so that thevoltage of the associated signal generator 93 bucks the referencevoltage 94a. The lower rolls 13 and 15 of each set of feed rolls, as isshown for the left-hand set, are driven by the associated motor 97through a shaft 98 of the motor 97, a gear secured to the shaft 98,gears 100 and 101 meshing with the gear 99, and shafts 102 and 103connecting the gears 100 and 101 with the lower feed rolls 13 and 15,respectively.

The apparatus of the present invention is ideally suited to the shapingof plutonium articles such as rods or plates, because the indexinggripper 17 is remotely and automatically operated. This gripper, whichmay be operated Ymanually for conventional metals, can be kept in aspecial enclosure or container (not shown) to keep air from attackingthe plutonium and workers from breathing particles of plutonium. In thespecial container an inert gas such as argon is used both as anatmosphere filling the container and as the gas under pressure suppliedby the pump to operate the gripper elements 28. After a plutoniumworkpiece to be shaped is inserted in the container, a workmans handsinserted into gloves (not shown) sealed to openings in the container,moves the workpiece into the gripper 17, for example, the one at theleft side of the apparatus as viewed in PIG. l. After the workpiece isin the gripper 17, the valve 24 is shifted from the dotted-line positionto the full-line position, so that the gripper 17 engages the workpiece.At this time the pistop 33 is at the left end of the cylinder 32 so thatthe gripper 17 is spaced from the feed rolls 12, 13, 14, and 15.

Now to start a pass of the workpiece through the shaping rolls 10 and11, various switches are thrown at the same time, perhaps all in acommon actuation by virtue of interconnection of the switches. Theswitch 21 is thrown to energize the solenoid l40 for shifting the valve36 to the left to admit gas under pressure to the left end of thecylinder 32 against piston 33 and to exhaust gas from the yright end ofthe cylinder 32, and to make it possible for the solenoid 23 to beenergized when the switch 18 is closed. The shaping-roll switch 92 isthrown to make the motor 90 rotate the shaping -rolls 10 and 11 forpassage of the workpiece to the right therethrough. The reversing switch94 for the left-hand set of feed rolls 12, 13, 14, and 15 is thrown tobuck the voltage of the signal generator 93 against the reference androtate the left-hand set of feed rolls for feeding of the workpiece at aslower. speed than the shaping rolls. The reverising switch for theright-hand set of feed rolls is thrown so as to add the voltage of theunshown associated signal generator and rotate the right-hand set offeed rolls for feeding the workpiece at a faster speed than the shapingrolls. The unshown switch corresponding to the switch 21, for theunshown gripper for the right-hand set of feed rolls is thrownoppositely to the switch 21.

When the piston 33 and the gripper 17 move far enough to the right toinsert the workpiece between the feed rolls 14 and 15 of the left-handset, the resultant tipping of the yoke 16 closes the switch 18,energizing the solenoid 23, which moves the valve 24 to the dotted-lineposition to relieve the vgas pressure against the pistons 27 and topermit the springs 30 -to shift the gripping elements 28 outward awayfrom one another for release of the workpiece. Now the workpiece entersthe feed rolls 12 and 13 and continues on to the shaping rolls 10 `and11, through which it passes and is shaped.

'I'he workpiece continues rightward into the right-hand set of feedVrolls 12, 13, 14, and 15. What happens here with the rightward movementof the workpiece can be understoodfrom imaging that the workpiece ismoving leftward through the left-hand set of -rolls 12, 13, 14, and 15.The workpiece first enters the near feed rolls 12 and 13, tilting theyoke 16 counterclockwise; then enters the far feed rolls 14 and 15moving the yoke 16 back to the horizontal but upward from its originalposition; and finally leaves the rolls 12 and 13 while still beingbetween the rolls 14 and 15, with the result that the switch 18 isclosed. The reversing switch 21 being appropriately thrown, closing ofthe switch 18 energizes the solenoids 22 and 39 so that the valves 24and 36 are shifted to cause the gripper 17 to engage the workpiece andthe piston 33 Kto move the gripper 17 and workpiece away from the feedrolls 12, 13, 14, and 15. When the piston 33 reaches the end of thecylinder 32, the gripper 17 may be indexed before the passage of theworkpiece in the opposite direction through the shaping rolls, either byangular shifting of the block '75 in which the gripper elements 28 arelocated about the opening 74 in the block as an axis, or by translationof the structure 87, together with the block 75 perpendicularly to thedirection of the opening 74 therein. Thus for the next pass through theshaping rolls 10 and 11, the workpiece is angularly shifted about itsown axis for thenext shaping operation at the previous region of therolls, or the workpiece is shifted laterally for the next shapingoperation at a region of the shaping rolls displaced axially thereoffrom the region of the shaping rolls through which the workpiece hasjust passed.

It is also understood that the invention is not to be limited by thedetails given herein but that it may be modified within the scope of theappended claims.

What is claimed is:

1. An apparatus comprising a pair of upper and lower shaping rolls, twopairs of upper and lower feeding rolls juxtaposed in operative relationto the shaping rolls, a yoke mounting the two upper feed rolls, acarriage, means pivotally supporting the yoke in the carriage on an axisgenerally between and somewhat above the upper feed rolls to provide forindividual movement of the upper feed rolls away from the lower feedrolls on passage of a workpiece through the feed rolls toward or awayfrom the shaping rolls, a gripper placed on the side of the feed rollsaway from the shaping rolls, and electrical means for actuating thegripper, said electrical means including a switch adapted to be closedonly by tilting movement of the yoke into a position in which the upperfeed roll away from the shaping rolls is farther from its associatedlower feed roll than the upper feed roll toward the shaping rolls isfrom its associated lower feed roll.

2. An apparatuscomprising a Shaper, two pairs of feed rolls juxtaposedin operative relation to the Shaper, a

. 7 yoke mounting a feed roll of each pair, a carriage, means pivotallysupporting the yoke in the carriage to provide for selectivelyincreasing the spacing between the feed rolls of one pair and the otherpair on passage of a workpiece on its passage through the feed rollstoward or away from Vthe shaper, a gripper placed on the side of thefeed rolls away from the shaper, and means for actuating the gripperonly in response to tilting movement of the yoke into a position inwhich the feed rolls of the pair away from the Shaper are spaced apartmore than the feed rolls of the pair toward the Shaper.

3. An apparatus comprising a Shaper; two pairs of feed rolls juxtaposedin operative relation to the Shaper; ayoke mounting a feed roll of eachpair; a carriage; means pivotally supporting the yoke in the carriage toprovide for selectively increasing the spacing between the feed rolls ofone pair and the other pair on passage of a workpiece on its passagethrough the feed rolls toward or away -from the-Shaper; a rotatable`gripper placed on the side of the feed rolls away from the shaper, thegripper comprising a casing, a block rotatably mounted in the casingwith an annular space between the interior of the casing and theperiphery of the block, the block being formed with six cylindricalradial openings extending outward from a central axial opening, the sixradial openings being arranged in three sets of two openings, theopenings of each set being 180 apart from one another and having thesame location along lthe central opening, the openings of each set being60 and 120 :from the openings of the other sets and being displaced fromthe openings of the other sets along the axis of the central opening,gripper elements projecting from the radial openings into the centralopening, pistons attached -to the outer ends of the gripper elements andbeing slidably mounted in the radial openings, springs acting betweenthe pistons and the block to urge the gripper elements radiallyoutwardly, and means for supplying gas under pressure to the saidannular space between the casing and the block against the pistons tomove the gripper elements radially inwardly; and means for actuating thegripper only in response to tilting movement of the yoke into a positionin which the feed rolls of the pair away from the shaper are spacedapart more than the feed rolls of the pair toward the Shaper.

No references cited.

